Ronaldo Under Fire for Poor Performance Against Super Eagles
- Cristiano Ronaldo endured a difficult outing despite Portugal's 2-1 victory over Nigeria
- The Portuguese captain received the lowest rating among all 22 Portuguese players used in the match
- Foreign media and former England star John Barnes have questioned Ronaldo's influence ahead of the World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo's first-ever appearance against the Super Eagles may have ended in victory, but the Portugal captain has found himself at the centre of criticism following an underwhelming display in Leiria.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner started Wednesday night's international friendly at the Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa as Portugal edged Nigeria 2-1 in their final warm-up game before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Source: Getty Images
Pedro Neto put Roberto Martinez's side ahead in the first half before Akor Adams levelled matters for the visitors. With the game seemingly heading for a draw, substitute Francisco Conceicao came to Portugal's rescue in the 75th minute, curling home a superb effort to secure victory.
The result gave Portugal back-to-back 2-1 wins after their earlier success against Chile, but much of the post-match discussion revolved around Ronaldo's struggles in front of goal.
Ronaldo records lowest rating among all players
According to Sofascore statistics, Ronaldo finished with a rating of 6.2 out of 10, the lowest among all 22 Portuguese players who featured in the encounter.
Remarkably, none of Nigeria's 19 players used by Eric Chelle earned a lower score than the veteran striker despite the Super Eagles ending up on the losing side.
Ronaldo played 65 minutes and failed to register either a goal or an assist.
Source: Getty Images
He attempted four shots, but none were on target and he was guilty of missing three big chances.
The Al-Nassr forward managed just 25 touches and completed no successful dribbles while winning none of his ground duels.
The numbers reflected what many observers had already noticed during the contest.
International media question Ronaldo's sharpness
The Portuguese legend's performance quickly became a talking point across Europe and beyond.
According to Portuguese medium A Bola, Spanish newspaper AS highlighted his difficulties in front of the goal.
"Portugal showed a lack of decisiveness and Cristiano Ronaldo's difficulties in finding the net. The Portuguese No. 7 had chances but once again failed in front of goal, which could be a cause for concern ahead of the World Cup opener. He also missed chances against Chile."
The outlet added:
"What used to be a certain goal a few years ago is no longer one."
Another Spanish publication, Marca, praised match-winner Francisco Conceicao and observed:
"Portugal are among the favourites, but they are not overflowing with excitement."
French outlet RMC Sport described Ronaldo's display in blunt terms.
"Awkward, Cristiano Ronaldo wasted several opportunities."
Despite the criticism, the publication acknowledged that Portugal had "finished their preparations well" and described Conceicao's winner as a:
"Brilliant piece of play."
L'Équipe, meanwhile, focused on the "wonder goal" from the Juventus winger.
Italy, Germany and Brazil raise concerns
Italy's Corriere dello Sport credited Conceicao for rescuing the Seleção.
"Francisco Conceição launches Portugal. The Portuguese side took the lead through Pedro Neto but conceded an equaliser in the 37th minute after wasting several chances, including some from CR7. Francisco Conceição, of Juventus, scored the winning goal."
German newspaper Bild went a step further, portraying the 41-year-old as a frustrated figure ahead of the World Cup.
"The Portuguese star is still not in shape for the World Cup. Portugal struggled to beat Nigeria. Portuguese fans have reasons to worry: Ronaldo missed several chances, and this was against an opponent that will not even be at the World Cup. CR7 did not show his usual accuracy in front of goal during the final rehearsal before the tournament."
Brazilian outlet Globoesporte echoed those concerns.
"Cristiano Ronaldo squandered opportunities. The Portuguese star found himself through on goal but finished in bizarre fashion. But Portugal beat Nigeria in their final test. Francisco Conceição resolved it with a beautiful goal."
Source: Getty Images
John Barnes doubts Ronaldo's impact
The debate surrounding Ronaldo's role has also attracted comments from former England international John Barnes.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the Liverpool legend suggested Portugal might benefit from placing greater emphasis on younger players.
"I don't believe Ronaldo will have a major impact in terms of being the player he was in the past for 90 minutes. I think we need to move away from that idea," Barnes said.
The former winger argued that too much focus on Ronaldo could prevent others from expressing themselves.
"Portugal have many good players, but the more you have one player dominating the entire team because he is Cristiano Ronaldo, without being the Cristiano Ronaldo of old, you won't see the best of Bruno Fernandes and the other players, because everything revolves around Ronaldo."
Barnes concluded:
"And I don't believe that will help Portugal."
His comments have added to the growing debate over whether Roberto Martinez should rely more heavily on stars such as Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, João Neves and Francisco Conceicao as Portugal chase their first World Cup title.
Ronaldo ready for the World Cup
Legit.ng previously reported that Ronaldo declared Portugal ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the victory over Nigeria.
The 41-year-old, who is preparing for his sixth World Cup appearance, will also be aiming to surpass Italy's Dino Zoff as the oldest player to captain a World Cup-winning side.
Source: Legit.ng
